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Mental Health

Mindfulness and Addiction

Whatever we were looking for as we journeyed through addiction, it certainly wasn’t mindfulness. You might even say we sought mindlessness.

We wanted to be “comfortably numb”, as the song goes. Fuller, deeper awareness of our own experience was the opposite of what we were after. 

Mindfulness does in fact walk in the other direction. Mindfulness digs towards embodied, grounded, integrated wakefulness. It creates a palpable body, inside of which we discover a spacious dimension. Mindfulness summons presence within us, a part able to tolerate all sensations, feelings, thoughts, and inner conflicts of the human condition.

A curiosity you may have noticed when playing with mindfulness: in an inner ambience of openness, acceptance, and stillness, a painful state of being sooner or later clears itself, dispelling all on its own. 

This is great news for those of us who like the idea of problems taking care of themselves without us having to do anything about it. If we can learn to provide compassionate witness to whatever is in us – that means a kind, loving, patience – we can learn for ourselves to eventually trust this natural process of consciousness taking care of its own needs. 

Simple, but not easy, like most good things!

If you’re like me, in the sense that you are influenced by the addict archetype, the idea of being more aware of what’s going on internally sounds at least a little bit threatening. The suggestion to experience what it’s like to be me more vividly…no thanks. I’m quite aware of what it’s like to be me, and it’s not that fun some days.

Mindfulness leads us towards ourselves, which is why those of us under the spell of addiction fear it, because we do not want to go towards ourselves. Ourselves is where the pain is, so we’re trying to get away from there. 

At the root of the problem of addiction, however, is the fact that avoidance of our inner sensations, no matter how justified, only makes it worse. Yes, our inner worlds are hellish sometimes. Yes, it is a natural reaction to pull our consciousness away from those hell realms to keep from fracturing. And yes, it all still needs to one day be witnessed mindfully. Because mindful loving witness heals. 

By avoidance, we turn the heap of problems that burdens us into a raging fire capable of true destruction. Because all inner soul signals suffer from the state of disconnection from love, when we withdraw our loving attention from our own inner signals, we are guaranteeing their exacerbation. 

And what’s within us is not an accident or an inconvenience. It’s not just the background hum of our life – it actually is our life. It’s us. If we’re in pain, that pain is us. All that we are yearning for is bound up in that pain. 

Mindfulness is what will take that pain and release it into a different kind of energy – aliveness, maybe even joy. Certainly, creativity and purpose. 

Ultimately, mindfulness will do for us what we tried to have happen through substances – help us tolerate what it’s like to be us. Help us transform. Reduce the volume, the intensity, & difficulty of that which we must face. Give us the power to experience our lives from a place of agency.  

Fortunately, there are many ways to be mindful. While we do need to be honest with ourselves about what mindfulness really is and what it is not, there are many paths in. We should walk in the ways that feel comfortable and most accessible to us, especially when first starting out. 

If you are able to access a kind self-witness through running, great. If a gentle flow state comes to you most easily when singing, painting, wandering in nature, great. Celebrate that. If you find peace in yoga or sit on a cushion, wonderful.

Self-validate if it is hard for you. Many of us have to spend years first building basic safety at the physiological level to be able to spend any time witnessing our own signals. 

That means learning to work with the nervous system to create and sustain sensations of safety, just being in your own skin and feeling ok. Experiment with calling upon the soothing powers of the parasympathetic nervous system, using practices like chanting and breath to help our biology work with us rather than against us. 

Above all, honor your own way. You are allowed to have a different experience than the others. Your mindfulness will be yours, as mine is mine. And the gifts you get from your mindfulness practice will be yours, too, truly yours. 

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Mental Health

Willpower and Addiction: the Silver Lining

Of all the things addiction takes from the human spirit, most devastating of all is the loss of free will.

Handing ourselves over to the tyrannical rule of the addict within results in a soul-chilling condition: complete absence of personal power. 

No one has perfect control over themselves, and that’s ok. But in our intact state we normally have what is called “executive functioning”, which means that we can use our heads to decide what is best.  

Addiction takes away the executive function and rules us from the bottom up. Over time, we take on the form of a chaos of instincts rather than a coherent living organism with choice and meaning.  

The shame and guilt of having no self-control – being too gluttonous, too self-indulgent, going too far, wanting too much, not being able to say no – is a signature experience of the addict.

It is very debilitating not to be able to rely on one’s own will to make good choices. It’s embarrassing, at times humiliating, and it erodes self-respect. Not liking ourselves, we have even more of a reason to avoid ourselves through addiction.

But we can be released from excessive self-reproach through understanding that it’s not personal; addiction just is what it is. It’s an illness that targets willpower.

Treatment programs and recovery programs typically emphasize that to get anywhere in recovery, we must begin with recognizing the impairment of our will that has taken place without our realizing it. The addict within hides the facts of addiction from us, so that we did not see ourselves clearly. Even though no one likes to realize such a thing, there is a curious freedom on the other side of it. 

The silver lining of the loss of willpower is that we realize it no longer makes sense to blame and condemn ourselves. During the addiction we have to constantly struggle with ourselves – we fight, shame and blame ourselves, make up excuses, set intentions only to break them again. This is so dispiriting!

In recovery, we can set aside this whole dehumanizing pattern and recognize that like it or not, we have lost the executive ability of the brain to override our thoughts and impulses. 

In the state of surrender which recovery requires, we are arguably better off than if we had managed to keep our willpower intact. Recovery demands that something else other than the ego, something besides the “the little me” personality (Eckhart Tolle’s way of putting it) has to take charge here. 

The beauty of this is that the ego is really no fun, so in the end it’s a blessing to have it cracked away by recovery. The ego isn’t good or bad per se – what it is is an answer to pain, a collection of defenses and ways of separating ourselves from others psychologically so that we don’t have to constantly experience overwhelming feelings. It’s a patch, a band aid, a hack. It keeps us together for a while, but life under the ego is not the same thing as a fulfilling, joyful, meaningful, creative, or connected life.

The choice that addiction really takes from us is the option of living egoically only. What recovery shows us is that there is an alternative to living in the solitary confinement of ego – we can learn to rely on benevolent presence, higher forces, unity consciousness to help us navigate.  

Within an overall surrender to higher intelligence (which I believe is our own, and is found deep within us at the collective, unified level, as well as out there all around us), we can have preferences. We can collaborate. We can say “I vote we do this”. 

But it remains wise to say, “If that is in alignment with the best good of all” or to add on a quick “Your will, not mine”. 

There is still a part within me that does not want to yield control, nor admit she’s not really the best one to decide. That’s my ego, and just because I fired her from the executive role, it doesn’t mean I don’t have compassion. Of course she wants to be in charge. We all would like to have potency, agency and influence. I acknowledge it’s ok that she wants it. 

But I still choose to say, “I hear you, but let’s just run this up the flagpole first & see what Unity says.” I do that because I have found out the long, hard, un-fun way, what happens if I don’t. And I have found out the long, hard, un-fun way, the kind of pleasure, fulfillment, and lovely creative surprise that can happen if I do

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Mental Health

How to Improve Your Mindset: 5 Tips for People with Trauma 

It’s helpful on this rather demanding human journey to have a positive attitude, right? If you have a great outlook on life, you are more likely to have good experiences. 

To change our mindsets, it is recommended to try on the idea that what takes place around us as seemingly independent events, as well as our feelings about those events, are inseparably connected to our beliefs about ourselves and the world. 

The trouble is that most people with trauma are imprinted with the mindset that they do not have any power, not even the power to change their own mindsets. So this can be a tricky space for us.

I want to be very clear that I am not saying that bad things that happen to you are your fault. There is genuine victimization and abuse in this world. Harm and trespass is not our fault. 

Especially important is to recognize that terrible things happened to us when we were too young or otherwise disempowered to defend ourselves, and that these experiences left us with “bad mindsets”.

We can’t change what happened in the past. The area where we do have influence over our lives is when and where we may be re-creating our victimization now, through the ways that our deep beliefs shape our experiences.  

The most problematic mindsets tend to be variations on the following themes: 

-It’s all my fault (self-scapegoating)

-I deserve bad stuff to happen to me (turning on the self)

-Nothing I do makes any difference so it’s useless to try (helplessness)

-I have no value/I am bad (self-devaluation)

-I am abandoned/unloved/alone (isolation)

-the world is all bad/unsafe/scary (splitting)

-my experience is controlled by you/someone other than me (agency is located outside the self)

That is by no means a comprehensive list but if you recognize any of those themes, please understand that there is trauma at play, which is largely the case with those of us who have a harder time changing our mindsets, and consequently our experiences in the world, than others may seem to. 

Once you’ve identified what might be the core mindset, think about if you’re willing to change it, and if you are, go ahead and replace it. If you’re not really willing, work on becoming willing. (This is more often the case than we might think, because our core beliefs feel like they protect us.) 

Once you’re willing, the changing of the mindset is literally what it sounds like. Identify the mindset you want to have instead, and replace it, like a car battery. 

“Instead of believing that I am inherently bad, I will now uphold and empower the belief that I am inherently good.” 

Repeat it enough times, say it and write it and think it and act as if it’s true, and eventually it will become your own. Like breaking in a new pair of shoes.

Here are a few mindset changes I have found helpful, which you might like to adopt, too: 

1. The mother of all mindset changes: Mindsets can be changed.

Mindsets are changeable. Neuroplasticity is a thing. Trauma is healable. Humans can learn. We are resilient. It’s amazing what can change in a short time of doing things in a new way. 

2. The Me-to-us mindset change: This is a shared human experience.

Whatever I face is a universal human experience. I may feel alone, but I am actually one among many. I experience this along with many others. Together we will improve this. 

3. The Silver lining mindset change: Every experience has a positive aspect.

If I am finding it hard to change a mindset, perhaps I am not yet done with this mindset’s positive side. What is the hidden positive side of this mindset? Having this mindset allows me to feel…to do…to experience…OK, I accept why I am still holding onto this one.

4. The Fake it until You Make it Mindset change: Acting “as if” really works

It works to practice and try and fake it. All baby mammals learn this way, by pretending to do what their parents do. One day, you can do it for real. 

5. The Make-it-A-Habit Mindset: Easy Does Do It.

It is repetition, not strain, that turns a new behavior into second nature. To make something feel easy, turn it into a habit, by doing a little bit in an easy, almost effortless way, every day at the same time for at least 21 days. For example: you might write your new belief down 12 times, every day for 21 days, and see what happens.

Remember: you can do it, it can be done, and the whole world benefits from every tiny bit of progress you make. Thank you for your courage to change!

Categories
Mental Health

Why Depression should be taken Seriously

The most tragic thing about not taking depression seriously is when we don’t get to receive its gift. 

What depression presents us with is deep and beautiful – the great boon of being redirected away from all that’s wrong for us, back towards our Selves. 

I’m talking about our truest, biggest, deepest, most satisfying Selves. What’s real within us is a treasure; depression is what it feels like when we’re out of touch with that. 

Harm happens to us gradually or quickly when we don’t listen to depression. In extreme cases, we hurt ourselves. Sometimes we succeed at finally destroying ourselves once and for all. 

So if we’re feeling down, it’s important not to brush it off. If we brush it off too long, it will do damage to our core.

If you are depressed, there’s not necessarily anything wrong with you. Depression is feedback from your true nature. Something in you is saying no to something about your life. Depression is a big, huge, sacred no. 

The gift comes when you ask yourself, if this is my psyche saying no, what would I say yes to? 

Depression will say nope to everything but your true life. Depression says: “I want to live my real life, and I recognize that this is not it. Let me go find my true purpose and live it.”

Here are three ways of thinking about depression which may feel helpful for opening up the gift, if it’s knocking at your door these days.

1. Depression is about death – and rebirth!

Depression is death energy. This can mean a lot of things, but definitely something within you is dying to make way for the new. If we are not behaving supportively for this transformation, if we are resisting or clinging to old ways of being, depression can get quite fierce as it tries to get our acknowledgement of its truth.

Remembering that depression is a sacred nope, ask yourself: What am I saying no to? What needs to die within me? What is coming to an end? Is there a part within me who doesn’t want to live the way I live now? Why doesn’t she? Is there anything I could do, some change I could make, that would make her feel excited to live? 

The answer might surprise you, and give you valuable clues about what you’re really here to do. Your depression is a part within you who knows you are in your nature, as well as what your real mission and purpose is here. 

2. Depression is about anger

As the adage goes, depression is anger turned inwards. If you are depressed, you are angry about something, but that anger has collapsed inwards, and does not have the sense of possibility and power normally connected to anger. 

Anger goes inwards when we do not approve of our own anger. If we cannot side with ourselves, and we tell ourselves we are wrong for being mad, it can easily turn into a black depression. 

From the starting place of depression, conscious, vivid, lively anger on our own behalf is a healthy destination. This anger is not for acting out towards others, but for our own learning about who and what we are in our deepest nature.

So see if you can find out what you may be mad about & validate your right to be angry about it. 

The information you want to get from yourself is: which of my vitally important boundaries have been crossed? Which of my universal human needs are not being met?

The information you get in this way helps you to see who you are and what you need to be yourself more fully in this world.

3. Depression is a call to go inwards: let yourself do that.

Finally, give yourself the darkness you need. Depression asks you to stop focusing energy towards the bright, noisy externals of your life, and to pull inwards.

You may like to treat a depressed period like a psychological flu: something that needs stillness, rest, quiet time and solitude. 

Turn and face the darkness that is already within you, see what treasures are there when your eyes adjust. Don’t push yourself to be on the surface of life when you are being called to go underground.

~~

The gift in the end is this: if you are living your life “wrong”, you will feel it as depression. If you are living your life “right” (according to you and you only!) you will feel it as joy, energy, purpose and alignment. 

It’s that simple. Depression, as awful as it feels, is the best friend ever. A friend that tells us the truth, about how small we are living compared to our true, magnificent size. May we all learn to respect depression’s voice.

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Mental Health

How To Get The Most Out Of Therapy

Therapy is the multitool of healing. With various shapes and applications, there’s a suitable fit for everyone, but finding the right fit for you and figuring out how to get the most out of therapy can be entirely different processes. 

Maybe it’s your first time, and you’re feeling overwhelmed, or you’re just starting back, and the thought of establishing such a relationship again feels overwhelming to you. Or maybe the expanse of possibility- and your role in it- is the very thing holding you back from beginning at all. 

There are many things you can do to contribute to the benefit of your therapeutic experiences. The most crucial part is that you’re here and you’re willing, but we want to help you build on the knowledge you can bring into the therapeutic relationship to ensure you leave feeling as empowered as possible. From session to session to the overarching tone of your healing journey, you deserve to feel prepared. 

So, how can you get the most out of therapy? 

Be accountable 

Taking responsibility for your actions as well as your attitudes and emotions is a valuable part of the therapeutic process. Accountability is the process of recognizing the gravity of your consciousness in the way you exist in the world, even when that gravity feels uncomfortable. This may mean accepting fault for wrongdoing or bearing the knowledge that the way you engage with those around you altered the situation you encountered in a way that wasn’t ideal. 

It’s not all hard revelations, though. Accountability also means accepting the positive consequences of your presence or actions. Being accountable for the knowledge you bring or the value of your impact on situations that grew or expanded because you were a part of them can help you identify strengths and develop those skills to be a more comprehensive part of your worldview. 

Embracing accountability as a required part of your healing will help you to help yourself by seeing the places you could respond to old feelings or experiences in new ways. In turn, this will create the space for your therapist to help you build your skillset at recognizing those opportunities for growth and the tools to unlock new potential for your compassionate accountability to serve you positively. 

Embrace curiosity 

An element of the curious lingers in the unfamiliar. Often, we grow to recognize this with resistance or suspicion. Some of us may experience new things with an edge of defensiveness. Embracing the unfamiliar in all its formats can help you expand your holistic perspective beyond your most hopeful daydreams by embracing the possibility hidden in the mundane. 

 

What if I am bad at this?  What if this is a hidden strength?
What if my plans go wrong? What if my plans go right?
What if it’s painful?  What if it’s liberating?
What if no one likes me? What if I find space to belong?

If you’ve ever experienced anxiety, you’re familiar with the power of the “what if?’. By inviting curiosity into your therapeutic spaces, you can re-shape the impact of “what if?” by offering it a connotation of wonder. Curiosity can be a powerful way to engage your imagination as an active part of reshaping your reality when you allow yourself to flourish in the safety of therapy, guided by an expert who is there to support you through the experiences you have. 

Speak up 

You are your most powerful ally. Using your voice to communicate clearly and concisely about what you need and how you feel is an important tool you can use to guide your therapeutic experience. If you know what you want from therapy or have specific goals, share them. Suppose there’s something that’s not working or you think could be going better. In that case, it’s okay to initiate a conversation about re-evaluating those elements to ensure they’re an ideal fit for where you are today. Maybe the space you occupy on your recovery journey has changed, or the emotions you’re experiencing have been impacted by something you couldn’t have anticipated. 

No matter what it is that’s weighing on you, good or bad, you are a powerful advocate for your needs. Through therapy, you’ll learn how to use it, and here is the best place to exercise its power to ensure you are getting the most beneficial support possible. 

Show Up, Authentically 

The most valuable tip we can offer you is to be authentic. Show up as your whole self for the whole time. From the very start, it’s key to ensure your therapist sees all sides of your personality. Resist the urge to downplay your strengths and gloss over your flaws. You are here to grow, and judgment of your character has no place in a holistic healing relationship. When you bring your authentic self to therapy, you invite the therapist into the vulnerable spaces where healing begins so it can take place most holistically. 

You have the power to shape your healing journey, and we’re here to help along the way. 

Categories
Mental Health

What is Individual Therapy?

What exactly is individual therapy? As an umbrella term for one type of mental health support, this one-on-one therapeutic offering encompasses a large range of treatment shapes and styles. Let’s explore the different types of individual therapy you may encounter, who will benefit and why it’s worth considering individual therapy as a part of your holistic recovery.

Just the two of us

Individual therapy is, in the simplest of definitions, any service you receive that’s direct work between yourself and a professional therapist. In this format, you’ll be the sole focus of expert attention to isolate and navigate the struggles currently at the center of your need to heal. This is uniquely empowering for those new to therapy, or who are still trying to untangle the events that led you to where you are right now. Much like trauma, healing is often not a linear path. Individual therapy gives you the space to breathe into your tangled past and sort through them with a guiding hand of focused support to achieve the healing you crave. 

Putting yourself first 

When you’re the only one participating, it’s difficult to focus on someone else. Individual therapy is a case study in doing just that: centering your experiences and emotions in the way you live and finding ways to make that align with the way you want to heal. If you are struggling to focus on your own thoughts and feelings, or to isolate them from other input, individual therapy offers a unique opportunity to re-center. 

One and many 

While the central theme of individual therapy is the direct relationship you’ll have with your therapist as well as your healing, there are many ways to go about navigating it. Individual therapy can be formulated around any of the central theories of counseling. The shape it can take is nearly as limitless as the sand on the beach, and each approach can be shaped and molded to exactly what you need. 

The most common form of individual therapy is cognitive behavioral therapy, abbreviated as CBT and most often known as talk therapy. In this format, the conversation focuses around the experiences and emotions that currently form your headspace. As you work together to draw connections between those things, your therapist will help you to develop new tools to cope with anything that’s holding you back so you can be an active part of the work you do to overcome your trauma. 

Curated healing

One of the most unique benefits of individual therapy is the ability to combine a number of theories and therapeutic practices to curate an experience that benefits you, specifically. Many of the theories that inform the practice of psychotherapy are based on narrow fields of research focused on one area of development or healing. 

When working with a client one on one, your therapist has the opportunity to take what works and discard what doesn’t so that you get the most personalized healing possible. We can combine modalities like EMDR directly with more personally applied healing like mindfulness or art to give you exactly what you need to feel grounded. These combined therapy methods will ensure you the best possible chance of engaging with a multitude of opportunities for healing in a holistic manner instead of parting them out to be cared for separately. 

Group Sessions Build on Individual Therapy

The value of having others to validate and normalize what you feel or have experienced can be priceless. A sense of community can be the difference between healing and thriving at any stage of recovery, so even for those who value the one-on-one support of individual therapy, seeking out group support is invaluable. 

Villa Kali Ma has a myriad of offerings for group therapeutic sessions that complement the work accomplished in individual therapy. Shared therapeutic settings will play off the insights gained when processing with your primary therapist. You’ll find that even when you’re focused on your own healing, you can find the balance between your shared and solitary jouney. Working in this harmonious fashion will allow you to garner every benefit from the range of individual therapies without truly sacrificing the irreplaceable experience of shared healing. 

No matter the way you best learn or access your healing, there is an individual therapy offering for you. Your clinical and holistic team will meet you one on one for walks and talks, or guide you through a more active modality like yoga or breath work. Elements from the things you’re passionate about and the healing you’re looking for are sure to blend beautifully under the curated care of our expert treatment team. 

At Villa Kali Ma, we offer a myriad of individual therapy services that are offered independently or in tandem with group and network healing therapies to get you on a path toward your own bliss. 

Categories
Mental Health

Diet and Mental Health

When I was small, my favorite food was mandarin oranges. At least once a day, but as many times as they were offered, I’d tuck into my oranges with all the delight of a child with a bag of candy. I loved them then (and still do), so much that my mother used to regularly hand them to me with a smile and say, “If you’re not careful, you’re going to turn into a mandarin orange”.  I’d picture myself turning orange, becoming spherical like Veruca Salt in Willy Wonka, and rolling into the grocery store for more mandarin oranges. 

“You are what you eat,” she’d say, and I think it was a warning, or maybe a joke, but she wasn’t entirely wrong… 

In many ways, we are the things we eat. Not literally, of course. I was never going to turn into a mandarin orange any more than you’ll turn into your kale salad or that banana bread you can’t resist. Even still, our nutrition is integrally tied to the way we fuel not just our bodies but our minds too. Tailoring your nutrition to your body’s needs won’t lead to a mental health miracle but it will support your journey toward mental wellness in a variety of positive ways.  

Pay attention to how your diet makes you feel

Have you ever noticed how your snacks and meals make you feel? The thoughts and feelings you have after eating can help you demystify the way your body responds to those foods. As we pay attention to them, we can begin making those fundamental connections about what our body needs to operate at its best. Sometimes those connections are obvious but if nothing becomes apparent quickly, try keeping a food journal to draw connections between the input of your mouth and the output of your mind. 

What does a healthy relationship between diet and mental health look like? 

There are a couple of prominent names for the connection between the way we think and feel, and the food we eat. 

Gut-Brain 

The Enteric Nervous System (ENS) is the name for the pathways in your gastrointestinal tract that send messages back to your brain. Over 100 billion cells are responsible for navigating the way your brain processes the food you put into your gut. The communication between these two systems is called the Gut-Brain Connection. While this moniker may not be very eloquent, the ENS is capable of letting your mind know how your body is feeling through things like big shifts of mood, or alternatively, responding to shifts of mood with feelings of nausea or abdominal pain.  The awareness of this means we can use your gut’s responses to alter the way your brain receives information and cultivate a more positive relationship. 

Food-Mood 

Find yourself craving particular foods for comfort when you are feeling overwhelmed or upset? Stressors to our mood can trigger changes in our diet and oftentimes, those changes don’t do us many favors. Instead, they perpetuate a vicious cycle of low nutrient foods reinforcing the low-energy moods we’re feeling and the association becomes ever-stronger. The food we consume alters our body chemistry, which alters our brain chemistry and can signal patterns of behavior that may not be right for you in the long term.

The food-mood connection is both a theory and a book that uses research to examine the ways that the things we eat influence the way we feel. 

Reviewing the nutritional profile of many whole foods can help you select foods that complement your goals. For example, foods rich in carbohydrates help you feel full and energized for brief periods of time while protein-dense foods help balance the carb slump with a more stable slow-burn energy release.

Balanced Diet; Balanced Mental Health 

Balancing your diet is an important facet of your mental health but worries about getting started can present as a huge barrier. If you are feeling the strain of potential cost or finding the things you need to make these elaborate “good mood” meals, you don’t have to be. Extravagance appears in every nutritional space but it isn’t required to have a diet that establishes a solid foundation for your mental health. 

There are a number of diets and nutritional profiles you can tailor to your needs at every level of accessibility. Whether you are considering going vegan or tracking your macros to get a balanced level of mental energy for whatever comes your way, there are options to try.

Much like recovery, the process of meeting your mind and body in a healthy space will be trial and error. Don’t be afraid to try something new, or to admit a new thing works better- or worse- than you anticipated. Plans change and that flexibility in listening to your body will be the key to your success in a supported and successful healing of your relationships inside yourself. 

Categories
Mental Health

Mood and Anxiety Disorders

We all have days when we feel sad and tired and we just don’t want to get out of bed. And we all have days when we encounter something that gets us anxious and all worked up. But for those dealing with mood and anxiety disorders every day, it goes beyond that one day or that one time. These conditions are very real, disruptive to life, and may even lead to substance abuse and addiction without proper treatment.

Being told to smile or relax just doesn’t cut it. Women who face each day with a mood or anxiety disorder usually aren’t equipped with the skills and tools necessary to overcome the harsh, crippling symptoms. And those around them just don’t understand what the big deal is. 

The more we talk about it, the more accepting and understanding we become, and the more women will step up and seek treatment. 

If you find yourself turning to substances to ease the discomfort caused by mood and anxiety disorders, consider exploring the benefits of treatment for co-occurring disorders.

What are Mood and Anxiety Disorders?

Mood and anxiety disorders are often lumped together, but they are two different types of mental health conditions. Both, however, have a high prevalence among women – and they usually both appear together. 

Mood Disorders

Mood disorders can make it hard to get through a day. Just going through the motions is a reason to cheer because many women who deal with mood disorders have a hard time just showing up to life. These disorders can impact your moods,  your thoughts, your actions, your emotions, and even your reactions. Below are the 3 most common mood disorders: 

  • Depression – incredibly strong feelings of hopelessness and sadness. 
  • Bipolar Disorders – characteristic of extreme mood changes, from one extreme to the other. Includes depressive episodes and very high-energy manic episodes. 
  • Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) – this is a depression that results from the seasons. It occurs during the fall and winter months when the days get shorter and the sunlight is not as prevalent. 

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders usually contain feelings of intense worry, fear, or unease. And they may appear in different situations. This could be due to unrealistic expectations, high levels of stress, fear of the unknown, substance use, having poor coping skills, or even physical problems that lead to worry and fear. 

Anxiety disorders greatly impact one’s life and functioning in the day-to-day processes of it. But those who have anxiety disorders may differ from one another. One person may have a gigantic fear about being in crowds or large social situations while someone else may not even want to leave the house! Still, others may have a generalized version that affects all different aspects of life.  Here are the most commonly diagnosed anxiety disorders: 

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorders (GAD) – this is the stress and worry about everyday life. 
  • Panic Disorders – these are sudden, very strong but short-lived bouts of fear and anxiety, but with strong symptoms. 
  • Social Anxiety Disorder – as its name suggests, it is the increase of anxiety when around people. 

How to Recognize Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Certain symptoms are commonly present with mood and anxiety disorders. Though it is important to know that these will vary from person to person. And not every woman will experience every symptom. Nonetheless, below you will find a list of the most common symptoms of mood and anxiety disorders. 

For mood disorders, one may feel: 

  • Sadness, hopelessness, empty
  • Low self-esteem
  • Feelings of inadequacy
  • Physical pains and complaints
  • Fatigue
  • Aggressive and irritable
  • Loss of interest
  • Disrupted sleep and eating patterns
  • Relationship struggles

As for anxiety disorders, this one can be broken down into both mental and physical symptoms. One may feel:

  • Racing thoughts
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Over-thinking
  • Irritability
  • Feeling on heightened alert
  • Feelings of wanting to escape
  • Disrupted sleep patterns
  • Appetite changes
  • Dissociation
  • Increased heart rate
  • Feeling hot and flushed
  • Dry mouth
  • Sweating
  • Dizziness or faint
  • Shaking
  • Muscle tension
  • Uncontrollable breathing

There is something worth noting that everyone needs to be aware of. Not all people who are sad have depression, but if you notice someone showing some signs, then pay attention. Just as if you notice someone struggling with anxiety that makes it hard to function throughout the day, pay attention. 

Many people who have either of these conditions do a very good job of hiding it. Many will smile and pretend as though life is fine — even when they feel like dying inside. And both mood disorders and anxiety have had reports of suicide ideation before seeking treatment. 

Suicide is real. And it can be prevented when the signs are caught and help is available. If you suspect that you or someone you love may be suffering from a mood or anxiety disorder – and suicide ideation is present – then call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

What Causes Mood and Anxiety Disorders?

Mood and anxiety disorders can occur for all sorts of reasons, but most commonly, they stem from: 

  • Genetics/family history
  • Previous mood disorder diagnosis
  • Trauma, stress, major life changes (especially relating to depression)
  • Physical illness
  • Certain medications
  • Brain structure/function (relating to bipolar disorder)

It is very common for environmental factors to play a large role in mood and anxiety disorders. That is why treatment situations will often work to uncover and remove any aggravating factors. When this happens, symptoms can clear up and the individual will begin to feel better. 

Treatment for Mood and Anxiety Disorders

Mood and anxiety disorders can be treated rather simply using a combination of medication and psychotherapy. You may, of course, try one or the other, but most professionals agree that a combination of the two yields the best results. 

If substance abuse is also a factor, then that needs to be treated at the same time, as well. It is not uncommon for women dealing with these conditions to turn to drugs and alcohol as a means of self-medicating rather than seeking treatment. Unfortunately, this can quickly lead to dependence on the substance and, eventually, addiction. 

In order for someone to find healing and lead a successful recovery, all aspects of mental health and substance abuse need to be treated. Seeking this in a holistic environment that promotes whole-body healing is the perfect option. 

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Mental Health

Women and Mental Health

There is a toxic stigma surrounding women and mental health issues. This stigma often prevents women from speaking about their struggles or reaching out for help.

This can cause some women to turn to substances to relieve their pain, which can lead to dangerous health consequences and the development of addiction.

Women are no strangers when it comes to mental illness. But that doesn’t make the relationship between the two any easier. There are difficulties when it comes to diagnosing mental health disorders and social stigmas attached to doing so. Even more so to those who seek treatment. And, sadly, many women know that something is wrong but feel like they have too many responsibilities that getting help just doesn’t seem feasible. 

In this article, we’re exploring the relationship between women and mental health.

Women and Mental Health: What the Statistics Say

Looking at the numbers, you will see that more than one in every five women has experienced a mental health condition within the last year. And many of the mental health conditions that plague women, including depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder, affect women at a much higher rate – and in a different way – than they affect men. 

In addition, 46.6 million adults in the U.S. in 2017 were treated for mental illness. The percentage of those who were women was nearly 50% higher than the percentage of men, according to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). 

But, that’s not all. Here are a few more statistics from the NIMH:

  • More women receive mental health services than men, 49.7% and 36.8% respectively. 
  • The prevalence of serious mental illness is greater in females than males, 6.5% and 3.9% respectively. 
  • Women who are exposed to violence are 3 – 4 more times likely to suffer from depression. This includes those who are exposed to sexual abuse as children, abusive partners, and or other types of sexual or violent abuse, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). 

Things that Affect a Woman’s Mental Health Treatment

Women are intricate beings. They have a lot riding on their shoulders every day and a desire to show they can handle it. So any intrusion of a mental health concern makes things a bit, well, tough. There are certain things in their lives that cause them to just push it aside as best as possible or find alternate ways of dealing rather than seeking treatment. These include: 

  • Many women, especially those with a lower socioeconomic status, tend to not have access to the necessary healthcare. 
  • Women tend to be the main caretaker for children, as well as elderly parents. This makes it more difficult to schedule treatment. 
  • Women are usually the ones on the receiving end of things like abuse or violence, sexual or otherwise.
  • Personal safety concerns also halt women from seeking help, especially in situations where there is another adult maintaining control.

Though, while these are just a few of the things that impact mental health treatment for women, it is important to point out that women do tend to have at least one friend that they can confide in and voice concerns. While it is not the professional help that they need, speaking up about mental health is a very good first step. 

Women and Mental Health: The Stigma

There is a toxic stigma surrounding women and mental health. Self-image is huge for women, which means being seen as “weak” or “flawed” due to a mental illness is not acceptable. Unfortunately, it is for this reason alone that many choose not to address their concerns about their mental health. 

Covering it up or self-medicating on their own is viewed as the better option. Although, we all know that is just not the case. Learning to cope with mental illness means being strong enough to accept that it is there, address it, and get the help you need. 

More and more, celebrities and others in the limelight are coming forward with mental health issues in an attempt to reduce the stigma.

Most Common Mental Health Issues Faced By Women

Women can be diagnosed with any mental illness, but there are a couple that seems to impact women at a much higher rate. These include: 

  • Depression
  • Anxiety
  • Eating Disorders
  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder
  • Bipolar Disorder
  • Borderline Personality Disorders
  • Substance Abuse

Comorbid Conditions

Many times women use substances such as drugs or alcohol to deal with their other mental health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, etc. These drugs or alcohol are used as a means of self-medicating. Unfortunately, what happens quite often, is that after a while, more is needed to help curb the symptoms. This cycle will continue on until addiction is formed. 

Some professionals believe that substance abuse that may have started with a glass of wine in the evenings to unwind may lead to mental health issues, such as depression or anxiety. 

Researchers have long questioned whether mental illness or addiction came first. And they are learning that either may appear first and the other results from it. 

Concerned About Your Mental Health?

If you believe that you may be suffering from a mental health condition or need to talk to someone, then it is important to seek help immediately. Talking to your family doctor is a great place to learn of the resources available to you. 

The National Alliance for Mental Health has a website that is full of resources you may find helpful. The more you learn and the more you stay connected and find support, the greater chance you will have of finding relief and joy again in your life. 

It is always worth noting that the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is (800) 273-8255. Of course, if you feel that you are at risk of causing harm to yourself or others, contact 911 immediately. 

Empower Yourself

As women – and human beings – knowledge makes us stronger. The more we learn about mental illness and talk openly about it, the easier it will be for us to come forward when we feel like we need extra help. It also makes it easier to spot the signs in those that we love. 

Educate yourself on mental health and remove the stigma, ladies. Together we can break any and all barriers.  

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Mental Health

The Link Between Stress and Mental Health

Stress is an everyday part of most of our lives. Just getting through life—dealing with work, kids, family struggles, financial issues, relationship hurdles, and more—requires some serious stress management skills. Often, it seems impossible for absolutely every area of our lives to be in perfect harmony all the time. 

So, how do we make it through? We deal. We find ways to deal with our stress enough so we can get through the day and do what we need to do to survive. But, is stress healthy for us? When does everyday stress become too much stress? And what can all this do to our mental health? 

Believe it or not, there is a link between stress and mental health, and in the face of stressful challenges, some women might turn to substances to cope. This can eventually lead to addiction and negatively impact your health. If you find yourself turning to substances for stress relief, it may be time to explore the benefits of joining a holistic healing program.

Chronic Stress

Daily stressors keep us on our toes. Deadlines at work, kid’s science fair projects, the family dog grubbing on the couch, and so forth. These moments add a little splash of cortisol into our bloodstream that gives us that added boost to get through whatever the stressor is. This is normal. And healthy, even. 

Chronic stress is an entirely different thing. During these times, stress levels are high, and they remain high—constantly. Maybe it is due to a bad relationship or dysfunctional marriage. You could be unhappy at your job, dealing with a dire financial situation, have an out-of-control teenager, etc. Any one of these things can lead to chronic stress. Put a couple of them together and you will likely find yourself heading for some serious health issues. 

In fact, chronic stress has been known to lead to things like obesity, diabetes, heart disease, a weakened immune system, and even cancer. It doesn’t stop there, though. Chronic stress also leads to mental health issues. 

The Connection

For years, mental health clinicians and researchers have been convinced that there exists a link between stress and mental health. Patients would seek help and would be bogged down with all these major issues in life – or, at the very least, a lot of compounded small ones. They would find themselves unable to get out of bed in the morning, even after happy or expected life transitions. Depression, anxiety, panic—all of these things were making their way into the lives of these stressed-out patients. But no one could prove why until now. 

As researchers have studied the brains of those with stress disorders (including PTSD) and those without, they have found one main difference—the brain of those with stress disorders has a higher ratio of white matter to gray matter than those who don’t. 

So, people who have chronic stress tend to have more white matter. What does that mean? Today’s blog is an important exploration of the scientific connection between these topics. To learn more, get ready for an in-depth look at the brain. 

Gray Matter and White Matter

Gray matter is commonly found in the brain, and it is made up of two types of cells: neurons and glia. Neurons have the job of processing and storing information. And glial cells support them.  

White matter, on the other hand, is made up of axons, which work to form a network of fibers that connect these neurons. White matter is referred to as such because of the white, fatty covering of “myelin sheath” that acts as insulation for the nerves. This white matter actually increases the transmission speed of signals between the cells. 

Researchers wondered – could the cells that produce this white myelin coating be impacted by stress, thus creating more myelin and leading to more white matter? 

The Hippocampus

Your brain has a hippocampus that handles all your emotions and memories. Researchers studied this in rats and found that something different was happening with the neural stem cells found there. It was always understood that the neural stem cells will eventually become a type of glial cell (gray matter). Though the more researchers did experiments, the more they were able to discover that – under stress – the cells became a different type of glial cell – oligodendrocyte – one that is myelin-producing. 

The findings have led researchers to determine that chronic stress leads to more myelin-producing cells and fewer neurons, throwing off the balance in the brain, disrupting the communication between brain cells, and even leading to mental health issues. 

Oligodendrocyte Cells and Mental Health

This brings us to these oligodendrocyte cells. Since they are the ones that fill up the white matter in the brain and lead to mental health issues, they require a more in-depth understanding. What are they? How do they work? 

Neurons are necessary for learning and memory skills. When the communication is disrupted, then there are red flags for cognitive functions. The more chronic stress is allowed to take over, the more issues will arise with the transmittal of information. 

It is very clear that all of this is impacted due to the changes caused by chronic stress within the brain. Researchers are still in need of more studies – and those focused on humans rather than rats – to gain a full understanding.

Chronic Stress, Mental Health, and the Brain

Our mind is incredible and it can do some miraculous things. But when we overload it with stress at a too-constant level, things can happen – as evident with all these new findings. Sadly, the more stressed we get, the more we risk dealing with mental health and cognitive issues, and we often turn to negative vices for relief. As a result, we may be doing even more harm. 

Our interconnected body needs to be able to function healthily as a whole. And that means that when it comes to finding stress relief and healing, we need to treat the entire body — not just the symptoms or some of its parts. After all, chronic stress has thrown everything off-balance in the brain.

Finding Balance

Our bodies and minds work in balance. So whether you are dealing with chronic stress, addiction, a mental health disorder, or any combination of the two (or more), everything needs to be addressed to bring the body back in balance

Stress is not going to go anywhere, but learning how to handle it and making changes where we can reduce its impact can also reduce the chance of mental health issues arising. 

Stress is a normal part of life. However, a constant state of stress can have a negative impact on your mental health and even lead to substance abuse and addiction. If you or someone you love has turned to substance abuse as a way to ease stress, help is available. Learn more about the benefits of joining a holistic healing program today.

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